The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-12
OLD COINS.
PRICES PAID FOR ANCIENT OH
RARE SPECIMENS. 81.
An American Dollar That is Worthl
$1,o0o-Coins OF the Colonies
The Confederate Cent
Other Valuable Coins

1uc SOHIcucrhLo OEHC--I So.
Other Valuable Coins.
BY far the most widespread Of all
queer fancies, says Boston paper, seems
to be that of coin collecting. Some col
lectors seek coins of the Russian en-
pire, others of the famous European soy-
ereigns. as Peter the Great, Karl XII,
of Sweden, Napoleon, ETC.; others search
for coins of America e Colppial, State and
Federal. = These latter, if seeking to I'LL
up complete series, are attempting the
impossible.
Strange as it may seem, the Oldest
coins are not the rarest, neither do they
command the highest prices. For exan-
pie, the coin of Egina, said to be the
most antique Greek coin, sells at from
$3.50 to IS at auction, while an Ameri-
can dollar of the date 1904, in good con-
dition, is valued at 1000. a. collection
of Roman coins can be readily and COM
paratively cheaply acquired, SO far as
specimens of each epoch is concerned,
though a collection of all varie-
ties of Roman coins would be
priceless, ard would be a load
for wagon. However, the collection
of American colonial and United States
coins seems to be the phase most In
vogue in Boston of this particular hobby
and some very ine collections are owned
in this city. The early colonial coins are
scarce and the demand for them Is brisk,
thus the market for them is always ac-
tive. The dealers in coins, Of whom
there are several in Boston, pursue the
system of buying cheap and selling high,
as those from whom they purchase are
ignorant of the value of the coins they.
sell, and regard all above its face value
q clear gain. A dealer will offer for an
Oak Tree shilling 81, when he can readi-
ly sell 1T for from $5 to $40, and the same;
for other varieties. A Pine Tree shilling
is rare, and will sell from $40 upward,
while an Oak Tree shilling of same year,
1852, is worth but half as much. A Car
olina half penny, for which q dealer cool
" offers from S. to $s, has been sold at
auction in New York city for $25.25
This coin was struck In 1854. The Lou
isiana copper coinage of the French Roy
oil and Republican Governments are
worth from so cents to 50, while what is
called the George Clinton cent, struck in
New York in 1887, if IN good condition,
is valued at from $50 to $50. The Wash
ington cents are all rare, that struck in
the die from which the so-called Wash
ington half dollar was struck selling at
from $26 to $50, according to condition.
The Kentucky cents are also rare and
sell for good price. .i .s.
The United States coins are, OF all the
coins, the hardest for one to secure .
complete collection. The coinage of
1898 is very rare and sells rapidly at $i5.
A dollar of 1884 has been sold at 800,
and then not in the best condition. The
half cent of 1895 is rare and sells readily
at SIS, while the silver quarter of the
same date is valued. at from $3 to $5,
The half-dollar of 1897, $25. The cent
of 1899 is bargain at from So to $40.
and the half-dim of 1902 is rare to. ex-
cess, specimen that was bent and badly
worn having been sold in 1875 for4$S5; I;
a fine specimen would probably com.
mand double that sum. All the coins OF
1904 are rare, except the haf-cent,
which is very common. The dollar, OF
which 1e, $40 were coined, is for some
unknown reason the rarest of all Ameri-
can coins. but eight copies being known.
This coin has been largely counterfeited
will sell for from $500 to an unknown
sum, according to condition. The half
dollar, of which 156,519 were struck, is
extremely rare, and is seldom sold.
Probably there is no limit to its value
beyond desire of the buyer to acquire
it. The cent of 1904 can be bought for
IS and the quarter-dollar for 50. The
silver quarter of 1928 is also exceed
ingly rare, very fine specimen
has been sold for $75, though one
good enough for pocket piece can be
had for $25. The quarter of 1897 IS
one of the rarest of quarters. A very
fne proof sold for $105, and an ordinary
,opy is purchased by the dealers at $20.l
The pattern dollar of 1889 is worth $l5,
and that of 1854. S.. The half dollar
of 1886, with the milled edge, is sold
for from $5 to $40, and the sameis paid
for quarters of 1858 without the arrow
heads at the side of the date. The cent
of 1857 is valued at 80, and the nickel
cent of 1855 at the same price. The
half.cents from 1881 to 1910 are worth
from 81 to $S each, and that OF 1862 S5.f
There are some coins that are unique, as
tie set of patterns from which was
evolved the trade dollars. The SIX dollars
which formed the set sold for $36 when
put up at auction at the sale of Colonel
James Taylor's cabinet in New York.
The cent of the Confederate States gov
ernment, struck in 1861, their own COIN
age, is rare, and will sell readily at from
S5 to $40. The twenty-cent pieces OF
1877 and 1878 are eagerly sought for at
SIS each, and the same is true OF the two
cent pieces of 1872 at 81.
The strangest thing to coin collectors
is the question where the coins have
gone. Many of the dates now rare were
Coined in large amounts. The quarter
eagle of 177y is now unknown to numls-
mates, vet 4s0 of them were minted.
The half eagle of 1915, of which 500
were struck, is now valued at $50, and
the double-eagle of 1919, of which only
patterns were made, is worth 500. A
large number of valuable coins undoubt-
eciiy pass through the hands of store
keepers annually, and will continue IN
circulation until so badly worn and OBJ
liberated as to be worthless to a collector.
MANY ticket.sellers, cashiers, etc., make
a very snug sum yearly by watching the
coins that pass through their hands, and
exchanging those of rare dates for coins
:I denominations that do not